


If It's Meant to Be (It'll Be)

by hsincerely



Category: Shadow of the Templar - M. Chandler
Genre: A little angst?, Canon Compliant, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, New Beginnings, Teen for language, Zoo trip, but really not that much, the zoo is based on the St. Louis zoo I'm sorry, this is basically all fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-26 09:25:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12056040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hsincerely/pseuds/hsincerely
Summary: SotT Week Day 1: New Beginnings"You were still shivering,” Johnny whispered, breath warm on his ear.“Oh,” Nate said on an exhale. He felt like his stomach was going to burst for all the butterflies in it. “I hadn’t noticed.” Johnny was warm against his back. He melted into his touch, feeling the warmth spread over his body.Johnny turned his head, placing a light kiss on Nate’s temple. “Better?” he murmured against his skin.“Yeah,” Nate breathed, “better.”





	If It's Meant to Be (It'll Be)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! This is the first of my fics for Templar Week 2k17. What better way to start than to see Johnny and Nate finally get the ending they deserve? I hope you enjoy!

Three weeks. It had been three weeks since returning from Europe, and Nate was in a funk.

After destroying thousands of computers with the virus to end all viruses, his day job seemed lackluster, at best. Sorting through files just didn’t have the same appeal after successfully defeating the bad guys after years of hard work and stress.

Drumming his fingers on the desk, Nate debated whether or not he should call it a day. It was ten minutes to four on Friday, and he could probably duck out of work early without Simon being too upset. Templar had been easy on everyone since returning, insisting that everyone needed to get their bearings back before diving into any more projects. Then again, he could probably get in a few solid games of Solitaire if he stuck it out until five.

Before he had a chance to pull up a new game, his phone buzzed. Glancing down at the screen, he noticed a new message from Johnny.

_Johnny: What’s going on tonight?_

Nate bit back a small smile and picked up his phone.

_Nate: Might head out early. Nothing pressing happening today._

He barely had time to set his phone down before it was buzzing again.

_Johnny: Dinner?_

Dinner sounded amazing. And with Johnny, no less. Even with things crawling at an unbearable pace since returning, Nate hadn’t found a lot of time to hang out with his friend in the last few weeks.

_Nate: Sure thing. Chinese?_

_Johnny: That’s fine. You want to come over?_

_Nate: Yeah, ok. I can duck out and be there by five!_

_Johnny: Bet._

Nate grinned and turned back to his computer. It really had been too long since he’d had an evening in with just Johnny and himself. It would be a good night to catch up.

He glanced at the clock one more time. Four fifteen. Might as well try to beat his high score before heading out for the night.

 

***

 

Johnny closed the door and blew out a breath. It was five minutes to five, and he had just dropped way more than was probably necessary on Chinese for two.

Maybe inviting Nate over had been a stupid idea, but he _missed_ the kid, damnit. He’d taken a few more weeks’ vacation after that stint in Europe. Not seeing Nate everyday was fucking with his head. _He’s not yours to miss, asshole_. Yeah, well, he wasn’t anyone else’s to miss either. A guy could dream.

Popping a new toothpick into his mouth, he headed to the living room to unpack the small feast he’d purchased.

After laying the food out and grabbing plates and silverware from the kitchen, there was a tiny rasp at the door. He strolled towards the entryway, opened it, and smiled at the sight he saw.

Little Nate, clad in jeans and a too-large sweater, hair rumpled from him likely running his fingers through it all day. Damn, he was cute. Johnny shook himself and stepped aside, letting Nate inside.

“Food’s in the living room. Already got plates.”

“Thanks, Texas.”

“Sure thing, kid. You want to pick a movie?” Johnny asked, moving towards the living room.

“Um…could we actually just put something on in the background?” Nate bit his lip and looked up at Johnny. “Not really feeling like paying attention to anything tonight.”

“You got it.” Johnny picked up the remote and flipped to Jeopardy. At least it would be good background noise, even if he only knew about three answers a night, on average. “How was work?”

Nate settled next to him, making a place for himself at the opposite end of Johnny’s couch. “Eh. Nothing seems exciting after watching Stone wipe out half the computers in Europe.”

Johnny snorted. “Don’t I know it.” He finished piling lo mein onto his plate. “And how are _you_?”

Nate stared at his plate, pushing his food around without making an effort to eat. “I’m fine.”

“Specs.” Johnny wasn’t about to have Nate clam up on him now. Not after all these years. Not after the last few months.

“It’s just…I can’t help feeling like things are going to change soon? Now that Templar is with Archer, and Sandy’s trying to get promoted. Where is that going to leave the rest of us, you know?”

Johnny considered the man across from him. The last thing he wanted was for Specs to worry about what the future would hold. It was something that they could take a day at a time, at least for a little while. “You always got me, Specs.”

Nate looked up and grinned. God, what he would give to make Nate smile like that every day. “I know, Texas,” he replied softly.

Johnny cleared his throat and went back to eating. They finished their meal in silence, but Johnny couldn’t help but notice the ever-present flush on Nate’s cheeks. Part of him wished that blush was all for him, but knowing Nate he’d just remembered some awful thing Honda had said the other day. Johnny could never be that for Nate. He wasn’t even sure when the last time Nate had _had_ a person like that in his life was. Regardless, what would someone like Nate want with someone like Johnny? Johnny was like Nate’s older brother, and that’s probably all he’d ever be.

Nate shifted next to him, leaning back on the couch. “So how’s your extended vacation been? Any hot dates?”

Yeah, right. As if anyone would be able to compare to the boy sitting next to him. “Nah,” he answered before digging another toothpick out of his pocket.

“Well we should do something this weekend!” Nate sounded like a kid in a candy store. As if there was nothing better than the idea of spending an entire day with Johnny. It was almost enough to make his heart hurt.

“What do you have in mind, kid?”

Nate sucked his lower lip into his mouth, contemplating. Johnny’s eyes were drawn there. It would be so easy to lean over and replace Nate’s teeth with his own. Just once. Maybe once would be enough to convince himself what a bad idea this was. Pining wasn’t a good look on him, and there was no way. 

“Texas?”

Startled out of his thoughts, he looked back up at Nate. He tried to fight off a flush as he watched one start to spread over Nate’s cheeks. “Sorry,” he apologized lamely, “long day. What was that?”

 “I asked if you wanted to go to the zoo,” Nate replied. “The weather is supposed to be beautiful, and they just got that new penguin exhibit, and–“

“Zoo sounds great,” Johnny interrupted. He looked over to Nate and smiled. A whole day of no worries with his favorite boy. Couldn’t beat that with a stick.

Nate’s face lit up. He turned to start cleaning up their plates from dinner. “Thanks, Texas.”

“Don’t thank me. You’re paying for parking,” he joked.

Nate rolled his eyes but bit back a smile. “Sure, Texas. Anything for you.” When he said it in that voice, Johnny could almost believe he really meant anything.

They finished cleaning up and said their goodbyes for the night. After Johnny fell asleep, he dreamed of soft, fluffy hair, oversized sweaters, and a certain slim body curled up by his side.

 

***

 

Nate sat on the porch, hearing more than seeing Johnny’s truck some around the corner. He was so excited for today that he could barely sit still. A whole day with Johnny. A whole day with Johnny that didn’t involve risking life and limb. Nate was pretty sure that nothing could top this.

Practically sprinting down the driveway, Nate threw open the truck’s door and hopped in. “Hiya, Texas!”

Johnny shifted his toothpick and smirked. “Well someone’s excited,” he said, a hint of amusement coloring his voice.

“It’s just been a while, okay?” Nate couldn’t even feel embarrassed by his excitement. This day was going to be a good one.

Nate fiddled with the radio until he found a station he liked. He hummed along softly as the Gin Blossoms crooned in the background, watching the scenery fly by out the window. He couldn’t believe he was going on a date with Texas. Okay, not a _date_ date, but he could hope. Johnny never had to know that Nate was calling this a date in his head. That would be just this side of pathetic, right? Right.

They arrived about fifteen minutes later. After finding a decent spot to park (yes, Nate paid) and paying for tickets (Johnny insisted on buying them), their adventure was about to begin. Grabbing a map, Nate opened it and began looking around to plan the day.

“What do you want to do first?” Johnny hooked his chin over Nate’s shoulder, looking down at the map. Nate felt his heartbeat pick up, and tried hard not to blush. For a split second, he thought he felt a hand on his hip, but it was gone so quickly that he must have imagined it.

“I was thinking we could just start here and sort of go in a circle? Maybe catch one of the shows later if we have time.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Johnny said. He gestured out to the left, motioning for Nate to lead the way. Nate smiled and before he could think about it, grabbed Johnny’s hand and started tugging him along. Realizing what he’d done, he dropped it quickly but kept walking.

“Sorry,” he muttered. “I’m just happy to be here with you, Texas.” Glancing up at Johnny, the look on his face could only be described as _fond_. That was a dangerous look. That look almost gave Nate hope for something more.

“I’m happy to be with you, too, Specs,” Johnny answered. “You can drag me anywhere, you know I don’t mind.”

Keeping that comment in the forefront of his mind, Nate headed left, hoping to see some of his favorite animals.

The first stop included some of the bigger animals, including the rhinos and the elephants. It was a nice surprise that most of the animals were actually up and moving, rather than just lounging in the shade. Johnny was good company, pointing out lots of pointless trivia that Nate never would have guessed he knew. When they got to the hyena area, he started singing “Be Prepared” from The Lion King in a very dramatic representation of Scar. Nate cackled, quickly covering his mouth to stifle the sound. Johnny looked a bit too proud of himself for making Nate laugh, but Nate wasn’t about to point that out to him.

“Do you want to check out the insectarium?” Johnny asked as they moved to the next part of the park. Nate pulled a face, scrunching up his nose. Johnny turned to him and chuckled. “Oh come on,” he said. “They’re all behind glass. Nothing’s going to land on you or anything.”

Nate still didn’t think looking at a bunch of bugs was worth the tingly feeling he got whenever he saw bugs flying around, but Johnny looked interested, so he reluctantly agreed.

After they entered the building, Johnny immediately took off towards some sort of beetle display. Nate hung back by the door, wondering if there was anything in this building he would be even remotely interested in. Johnny looked over at him, the light from the display giving his face a soft glow. “Come here,” he said quietly. Nate walked over, glancing around as he did. He looked up to Johnny, and he held out his hand. “Come on. This way. There’s something I think you’ll like.” Nate felt his breath catch as he took Johnny’s hand. Then he was being tugged towards the back of the building.

“Where are we going?” Nate finally asked. “I don’t even know what’s here, I never come in here when I come to the zoo.”

Johnny’s face looked full of mischief. “There’s an area in the back where some insects fly around.”

Nate stopped in his tracks, a look of horror crossing his face. “Fly _around_?” he asked skeptically. “Texas. No. Absolutely not.” There are a lot of things he would do for Johnny, but letting some stink bug land on him was not one of them.

“Do you trust me?” Johnny asked.

Nate looked at his hand, which was still in Johnny’s. It looked small. Dainty compared to Johnny’s calloused ones, but he knew Johnny would never try to intentionally hurt him. Looking up, he whispered, “Yes.”

“Then come on.”

 

***

 

They reached the back of the insectarium, and Johnny could hardly wait to see Nate’s reaction. He hoped he would enjoy this. He thought that he would.

“Ready?” he asked.

“As ready as I can be, I guess.” Nate didn’t seem too sure, but he was still holding Johnny’s hand, so that had to count for something.

Johnny pushed the doors open, and Nate’s grip on his hand tightened. He let Johnny pull him forward, but his eyes were shut tight as if he was trying to will all the insects away. Johnny leaned down and whispered in his ear. “Open your eyes.”

When he did, Johnny could feel the sense of wonder radiating off of him. “Insects” was actually code for butterflies. Dozens of different species of butterflies and beautiful gardens spanning the greenhouse in the back.

“This is crazy,” Nate whispered. “I had no idea this was back here. Why didn’t you say there were butterflies?” He almost sounded offended.

Johnny laughed. “That would have ruined the surprise, silly.” He started tugging on Nate’s hand. “Come on, there’s a path we can take.”

They walked in comfortable silence, watching as the butterflies landed and took off again. Nate got particularly excited when he was able to observe one eating. Every now and then he ooo’d and ahhh’d at the more exotic looking ones.

Once they reached the back of the butterfly house, they stopped and sat at a small bench.

“Thanks for making me come back here,” Nate said, leaning back and stretching his legs out in front of him.

Johnny smiled, thinking to himself that Nate should always be surrounded by butterflies and other pretty things. “Of course,” he answered, stretching his arms across the back of the bench. Turning to his right, a bright pink flower caught his eye. He reached out and plucked it before turning back to Nate. Johnny twirled the flower in his fingers, and Nate’s eyes widened. Johnny scooted closer, brushing a lock of hair out of the way. They had already held hands. He might as well make a move now before he talked himself out of it. He tucked the flower behind Nate’s ear. Nate immediately went crimson, averting his gaze shyly. Johnny rubbed his thumb over Nate’s cheekbone before tilting his chin up. Nate looked back up, his pupils blown wide. “Looks good,” Johnny said quietly, stroking Nate’s cheek one more time. Nate’s lips parted, and that was when Johnny cleared his throat. “So…where are we headed next?”

Nate cleared his in return. “Well I was thinking we’d just keep heading right. I think the penguin puffin house is next.”

Johnny stood, stretching. “That sounds great, Specs. Let’s go.”

 

***

 

They made their way back to the entrance of the insectarium, heading right towards the penguins. Nate still wore the flower in his hair. His legs felt wobbly, adrenaline still pumping through his veins. He’d had this crush on Johnny for years. Never did he consider that maybe Johnny felt the same. That would be a theory he’d have to test out more as the day went on.

After a walking past the flamingo pond and a quick stop at the polar bears, they finally made it to the penguin exhibit. Considering the exhibit was new, there amazingly wasn’t a line to get in. After entering, Nate immediately shivered.

“Cold?” Johnny asked, a concerned look crossing his face.

“No, I’m okay. Just need to adjust to the temperature.”

Johnny didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t comment either. They walked up to the glass. Nate placed a hand on the glass, wonderment in his gaze. There were penguins everywhere, swimming and diving and waddling. They were so cute. Nate couldn’t look away.

Johnny came up from behind and wrapped his arms around Nate. Taking a sharp breath in, Nate relaxed into his embrace.

“You were still shivering,” Johnny whispered, breath warm on his ear.

“Oh,” Nate said on an exhale. He felt like his stomach was going to burst for all the butterflies in it. “I hadn’t noticed.” Johnny was warm against his back. He melted into his touch, feeling the warmth spread over his body.

Johnny turned his head, placing a light kiss on Nate’s temple. “Better?” he murmured against his skin.

“Yeah,” Nate breathed, “better.”

Johnny ran his hands up and down Nate’s arms before taking his hand again. “Come on. Places to go and puffins to see.”

They walked hand in hand through the enclosure. Nate’s heart had never beat so fast, even when looking death straight in the face. This was the most surreal thing he’d ever experienced. Johnny had a crush on him. A crush. On _him_. It was like waking up from the best dream and realizing it wasn’t a dream at all.

Nate cooed at the puffins, and Johnny indulged him by taking pictures of the cutest, fattest ones.

They eventually returned to sunshine and normal temperatures. Nate felt his skin warm, but he didn’t let go of Johnny’s hand.

 

***

 

The rest of the trip went smoothly. Nate tugged Johnny all over the place, insisting they head all the way back to the front of the park to watch the sea lion feeding. Johnny could hardly say he cared. His boy was having a blast. It had been ages since he’d seen Nate so happy. Not to mention the small matter that Nate appeared to have feelings for him as well. Johnny couldn’t believe his luck. Couldn’t believe this was happening. Nate was holding _his_ hand. Nate was looking at _him_ like he hung the stars. If he could keep this boy smiling that wide for the rest of his life, well. That would be worth the years of worry.

After sea lions, they headed back up the hill towards the last of the animals. They skipped out of the herpetarium (too hot) and the primate house (“It smells like literal shit, Texas.”) and finally wound up in big cat country.

Nate practically dragged Johnny up the ramp, ready to see lions and tigers and leopards (oh my).

“Texas, come on! This is my favorite part!” Nate hollered. He leaned against the rain, looking down into the tiger enclosure. There were two of them, but they were lounging in the shade. “Look at them. So regal. Beautiful.”

 _Just like you_ , Johnny thought to himself. He was too smitten for his own good. He hoped it wasn’t written all over his face.

Finally, they reached the snow leopards, which were Nate’s favorite animal. He took about a hundred pictures, and Johnny wished he was exaggerating. But he wouldn’t complain. He just let Nate talk his ear off about how soft their fur probably was and how cute the cubs were.

After twenty minutes of looking at big cats, they arrived back at the start of the park. Johnny told Nate he was going to find a bathroom, before sneaking off to the gift shop to get him a stuffed snow leopard. He hid it the best he could in his deep pockets before returning to Nate.

“Ready to go?” he asked. Nate nodded and yawned, saying something about the sun getting to him and making him sleepy.

They walked back to the car hand in hand. Nate climbed in, sagging against the seat tiredly. Johnny smiled, started the car, and began the short trip back home. Nate fell asleep almost instantly, and Johnny smiled before turning his attention back to the road.

Nate didn’t wake up when Johnny pulled up to his house. “Specs,” he said gently, nudging him, “we’re home.”

Nate grunted, rubbing his eyes and turning towards Johnny with a sleepy smile. “Hey,” he muttered.

“Hey,” Johnny said softly.

“Thanks for today, Texas. I had a great time.”

“I had a good time too, Specs. Here I got you something.” He pulled the stuffed leopard out of his pocket and handed it over. Nate looked at it like it was a precious jewel. He pet it’s soft fur before hugging it close to his chest.

“Thank you, Johnny.” Nate bit his lip and looked at Johnny. Johnny couldn’t stop himself from cupping Nate’s cheek before leaning in and planting a chaste kiss on his lips. Nate closed his eyes and sighed happily, placing his hand on Johnny’s neck and kissing back gently.

They broke apart a moment later, both flushing but not looking away.

“I’ll call you tonight,” Johnny said.

“I’ll be waiting,” Nate replied before placing a parting kiss on Johnny’s cheek. “Bye, Texas.”

“Bye, Nate.”

Johnny waited until Nate got inside to put the car in drive. He tapped the steering wheel excitedly, popped a toothpick into his mouth, and drove home with a smile on his face.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [Tumblr](http://hsincerely.tumblr.com). :)


End file.
